UChicago/Hyde Park = Dangerous?

NatalieW
Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:38:25 +0000

I was born and raised in New Haven, so I’m really familiar with the Yale neighborhood and the area around it. Hyde Park and New Haven are somewhat similar in that there is a very clear designation between the campus and the rest of the neighborhood. There are some very dangerous parts of New Haven around the Yale campus, where I wouldn’t want to find myself alone even in the middle of the day, despite having lived there my whole life.
I’ve never felt unsafe walking around campus, even at night. However, I’ll echo the sentiments here who say its always better to walk in a group. You should really try to avoid walking anywhere alone at night, thought that’s true of any urban area. Yes, there are dangerous neighborhoods to the south and west of Hyde Park-I had to drive South of the Midway, down 63rd street, a while back, and while the neighborhood is fairly dangerous, there’s really no reason a student should have to go down there (I was trying to get out to a Southern suburb). If you stay within the campus area and with a buddy when you have to leave it, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be safe.